Page 56 of Red Rooster

“To put their blood into their centrifuges and make more drugs. They want them for theprogram, my dear.”

“What program?” she snapped, panic making her impatient.

Val opened his mouth to respond–

And she woke up.

She lay curled up on her side, blanket balled up in one fist, breathing in a shallow, open-mouthed panting rhythm against the pillow. Her eyes sprang open, vision white and fuzzy, like she’d been squinting against the brightness of snow only seconds before. Which – she had.

“Damn it,” she breathed, pushing up on one elbow, the room spinning around her. “Shit, shit,shit.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.Val?she thought.You there?

But the dream was gone, and after a few moments, it became apparent that the prince wasn’t going to project himself into her waking reality.

When she opened her eyes again, the room took shape around her. The wide, open-concept second floor with its kitchen and comfortable living room. Nikita and Sasha took up either end of a big L-shaped sectional. Colette had set up air mattresses for the rest of them, covered in lavender-scented sheets and blankets. There were only three, so it only made sense for Trina to share with Lanny…even if lying down beside him had stirred an unfamiliar awareness beneath her skin. He was still Lanny, yes, but he was different now. She hated that she saw him that way; was ashamed and frustrated with herself.

They’d fallen asleep on their backs, hands folded over their stomachs, a careful inch between their elbows under the blanket. Now, sitting upright in the dark, heart racing, Trina saw that she was alone on the air mattress.

A faint blue glow in the kitchen drew her gaze: Lanny sitting at the table, reading something on his phone, expression tight in the wash of light from the screen.

She stood up and picked her way silently to him.

He made a low sound of greeting when she slid into the chair next to his, something gruff and warm that was unmistakably Lanny, but colored with a vampire’s big cat purr. Strange and familiar at once.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked.

“Hmm. Had an interesting visitor in my nightmare, though.”

He turned a sharp look toward her, eyes shiny in the iPhone’s light.

“Val,” she explained. “He showed up and helped me out – maybe in more way than one. He’s being held captive at, get this, the ‘Virginia branch’ of the Institute.”

Lanny’s brows shot up. “No shit. What’d he say about it?”

She sighed. “Then I woke up. But I know he’s being held against his will, and Nikita’s right, apparently; they’re trying to use vampire blood to synthesize some sort of medicine.”

Lanny shrugged. “Not a bad idea.”

She stared at him.

“I’m not saying I want them to do it, but it makes sense. If there’s a cure for cancer out there – and there is – don’t you think someone would want to use it?”

“Yeah.” She scooted in closer to him, eyes dropping to his phone. “What are you looking at?”

“The Ingraham Institute of Medical Technology’s website.” He scrolled with his thumb, revealing a row of thumbnail headshots. “Here’s Dr. Fowler. They’ve got all the docs listed. Apparently, the Queens facility is working with wounded vets. A ‘revolutionary drug trial,’ they say.”

“A drug made of vampire blood,” she said, leaning in closer, frowning. “And I bet it works.”

“Oh, and check this out.” He flicked to another open tab, this one also a part of the Institute site. He expanded the image. “These are the military contracts they have. No details, obviously, but–” He pointed to one.

Project Kashnikov.

“Shit,” Trina breathed. “They’re trying to make wolves.”

“Succeeded, more like,” Nikita said, sitting down across from them, and they both jumped.

Trina smoothed her hands across the table, willing her nerves to settle. “How? Do they have the book?”